You Have to K.N.O.W. It!

"She knows!"
-Dexter

  Your teachers and conductors are telling you to, "you have to know how to play this phrase," and, "know how to play this in tune." You may think that you know how to do these things... but I guess not.

What does it mean to
 K.N.O.W. something?

Kill it every time! No matter how difficult a piece is, or how bad you're feeling at that moment, it has to be perfect.

 One problem that every performer has, is when you get on the stage or sit down in front of your teacher your mind starts going crazy. If you aren't completely engaged you're going to make mistakes that you never have before. The best solution I've heard is to picture yourself on the stage whenever you're in the practice room and picture yourself in the practice room whenever your on stage.

Never settle. If you've spent a long time working through an especially tough section, don't finish your time with a "good enough" attitude. Always attempt to end on a good note, (punny... I know) and have a positive outlook on what you've accomplished. It's a slippery slope once you start compensating because it'll only make you want to settle more, until it's how you end nearly everything.

Own every second of your performance. Once you can make a piece your own -whether it's a solo, excerpt, or even an etude- it'll drastically improve the quality. If you make every measure special and unique it'll keep the listener involved throughout your performance. 


Woodshed it. If anyone isn't familiar with the term "woodshed", it just means to take a piece back with you and work out all the problems. The biggest step to knowing, and performing, any piece is to pay your dues and make sure that you've done every part more times right than wrong. More on the practice routine here.